Synchronicity
by supernovaray11
Summary: Rose and the duplicate 10th Doctor's story of life in Rose's alternate universe.  Will this universe be more  kind to Rose and this version of the Doctor? Will they be able to handle life on this new, slower path?  What will the future hold?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own, and have never claimed to own Doctor Who or anything indirectly or directly related to the world of Doctor Who. Also, any similarities to other fan fiction is completely unintentional. I have simply written the story below for my own enjoyment and entertainment.**

Also: italics indicate thoughts of characters and I have referenced the BBC audiobook The Stone Rose in this chapter. If you've not heard it yet, I'd definitely suggest it! It's wonderful - especially because David Tennant reads it so well!

If you choose to review, please be kind - I'm brand new to the realm of fan fiction writing! Anyway, now that's all said, thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Rose gasped as she ran towards the disappearing TARDIS. Her eyes could barely believe what they were clearly seeing. Rose's heart began to beat rapidly in her chest as tears welled in her eyes. "It can't be!" she whispered to herself, in a voice that was barely audible. She didn't think it was possible to have her heart broken into more pieces than when they first parted but the pain that Rose felt was unbearable. Rose stared blankly at the spot where the TARDIS had just stood, mere seconds before and realized the finality of the whole scene. After the past four years of traveling through universe upon universe, being nearly killed more times than anyone should be able to boast, Rose Tyler was back to the place she had started years before, back to square one, for the second time of her life.

The events of the past 48 hours continued to play themselves relentlessly in Rose's mind as she stared at the square spot that was made by the TARDIS. Unable to control her grief and pain any longer, Rose began to sob silently to herself, keeping her gaze fixed on the barely visible indentation. He's gone, she thought, as she choked back the urge to scream at the top of her lungs. Every part of her body ached and felt numb in the cold sea air. She suddenly felt a familiar hand entwine its fingers in her own. Rose turned to see the part human Doctor looking at her the same caring gaze as his counterpart. One look at his face made Rose simultaneously confused and comforted.

The pair said nothing to each other for a moment as each looked at one another, attempting to make sense of the reality that had unfolded around them. Saying nothing, the human doctor wiped tears away from her cheek with his right hand, while keeping his other hand firmly wrapped in hers. Rose stared at him in utter shock and disbelief, unable to find words to express the tangled web of emotions that were ensnaring her at that moment. All she knew was that the man before her was a carbon copy – a duplicate of the Time Lord that had changed her life forever. Feeling his touch to her cheek, Rose caught his hand with her free hand and held it to her face before looking at it carefully. Same hand – same nails, same size – everything, she thought.

The human Doctor immediately recognized that Rose was having trouble processing what had just happened, and he felt a surge of emotional pain bring tears to his eyes. He hated seeing her in such pain. "Rose, I'm so sorry," he said, emotion making his voice crack and eyes water.

"Yeah – me too" she trailed off, touching his heart again, as she did mere moments ago. She could barely believe that she couldn't hear the four patterned beat that she had come so accustomed to hearing when she was fortunate enough to hug the Doctor.

"Come on – we'd better go," he said, pulling her gently towards the bank where Jackie could be seen talking on a cell phone, presumably to Pete. Rose's feet felt like 20-ton weights as she attempted to move them in the direction that the human Doctor was leading her. Her steps faltered as she looked behind her to the place where the TARDIS had stood. An indescribably painful sob wracked through her body as she shivered uncontrollably. "no – no no no!" she shrieked, freeing her hands from the grasp of the human Doctor. "Doctor, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's not supposed to be this way!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and pounding her feet into the wet sand. "Please come back!" she cried hopelessly as she fell to her knees and blurry vision quickly slipped away into seemingly impenetrable blackness.

* * *

><p>The morning sunshine began to glisten and shine through the large bay windows of Rose's room at the Tyler Estate as Rose finally gained consciousness. Her head hurt and her whole body ached deeply. She recognized the pain immediately. It was the type of pain caused by using the Dimension cannon and pushing herself too hard. Rose moaned quietly and stared at the ceiling, wishing that her eyes were deceiving her. They weren't, however, and Rose closed her eyes tightly as visions of Daleks, Davros and the Doctor disappearing in the TARDIS flashed through her mind. Tears streamed down Rose's eyes as she lay motionless in her large bed, wishing that she could just wake up from the nightmare that had taken over her life for the last four years. Rose's crying intensified, as the pain of the last years seemed to burn ruthlessly through her heart and mind. Sobs that were first barely audible to anyone besides Rose grew and intensified to screams of sheer agony as Rose grappled with the reality that the Doctor, her Doctor, had abandoned her with a half human copy of himself.<p>

"Forgive me!" she screamed in between loud sobs as she curled into a fetal position and wept miserably into a pillow. With eyes almost clamped closed and feeling numb from head to toe, Rose didn't even realize that her bedroom door had been apparently jolted open and someone had rushed in, picked her up in strong arms and was now rocking her back and forth in an attempt to calm her hysteria. Moments later, when Rose gained control over her consciousness and gut-wrenching sobs that had wracked her, her eyes snapped open widely as she realized whose arms she was in: the Doctor's. Or, more specifically, the meta-crisis, half-human, part Time Lord Doctor that she had been dumped back into this universe with. She pulled herself up and way from him forcefully and froze; just staring at this man that was identical to the Time Lord she loved so deeply.

A long moment passed between Rose and this new version of the Doctor. It was finally the Doctor who spoke first. "Rose, are you all right?" he asked, realizing the answer was far more complicated than a simple answer. Rose couldn't help herself upon hearing her name, in the same way that it always used to be said. Tears streamed again down her face but Rose said nothing other than "yeah…fine." The pain, anger and jadedness of four years of loneliness and grief were evident in those two words. Rose was having difficulty looking at him – it was so confusing to see the Doctor's form but know that the Time Lord was not sitting before her. It was also difficult for her to realize that she had turned her back on the Time Lord when she knew she should have fought him harder – made him see that they should be together.

The human Doctor immediately sensed that Rose was having a difficult time adjusting to the new situation that had arisen from yesterday's events. He couldn't help himself and he suddenly gathered her to him tightly, saying "Rose, I know you're not alright – and I'm sorry, so sorry. " Rose hardly knew what to do at his impulsive action. Part of her didn't mind feeling his arms around him but she couldn't help feeling like she was somehow betraying the Time Lord that was now shut away from her, in another universe, the same sense of betrayal she had felt when she realized she had pushed the Time Lord she loved away. Rose struggled and broke away suddenly. The Doctor felt dejected but was not going to give up hope. He realized what she was feeling was definitely understandable.

"But…you're not him!" she cried pathetically, whipping tears from her eyes. "Look, I should never have…" she struggled to explain but failed and fell silent.

The human Doctor winced at the realization that she regretted their kiss on the beach, but continued to speak anyway, hoping he'd convince her of his true identity. He spoke clearly but quietly, a quiet intensity driving his voice, "Rose, I know it's confusing, but I am the Doctor. I am."

"But he – he left – he's gone. I lost him all over again! I drove him away…" she nearly yelled, a hint of anger apparent. "I pushed him away this time! He's gone because of me and I didn't even get to say goodbye!" she wailed, tears now flowing uncontrollably. "He must hate me now," she said in between breathless crying.

Swiftly, he moving towards her and gripped her shoulders, looking her square in the eyes, "listen, Rose Marion Tyler, if you've ever listened to anything in your life, you must listen to me now. He could never, never hate you. He loves you! He loves you so much he'd let you go to make sure you were happy, regardless of what happened to him. He loves you with every ounce of his being, I can absolutely promise you that." Rose blinked once before closing her eyes as she heard his admission. "And I know…I know, I know – the Time Lord, the other me is gone – but Rose, I'm him, he's me!" he said with an identical smile, tears forming in his eyes as he attempted to convey the truth of the situation to Rose.

The human Doctor moved his hands from her shoulders to hold her hands firmly before continuing, his eyes staring intently into hers. "Can't you see? He didn't do this to hurt you - this is what he knew had to come to pass because he knew it was the only way we could ever be together. It wasn't because I destroyed the Daleks. Rose, think about it! You studied the time lines, all of those universes – you saw all the possibilities and saw that all of the points converged on Donna too. Oh, Rose! It was all leading to the destruction of the Daleks and this! So he or we could finally be with you. So we could be here in this moment, on this timeline! He always wanted to be with you – forever, but this is the only way it was ever going to really work out the way he desperately wanted but dared not hope for. It's the only way he could be happy with you without..." He looked intensely into her eyes, realizing that Rose was now eerily quiet as she contemplated what he had just said.

"The curse of the Time Lords." She added, her voice solemn.

"Exactly." He added, remembering that she had a very good memory. He paused for a second, studying her expressionless face before adding, "…but Rose, I'm still here and I swear, I'm not going anywhere...unless…"

"Unless what?" she questioned, her voice was still tense.

"Unless you want me to go – I will, if that's what you want," he said stoically although he could feel his stomach churn at the prospect of being without Rose in a strange universe, but he proposed this possibility anyway.

Rose saw his intense look and was shocked. He was so sincere. Would he actually go if she told him to? Is that what she wanted? She knew almost immediately that she didn't want him to go – she knew it instinctively. The fear of loosing the Doctor for the third time, no matter if he was another version of the same Time Lord was nearly overwhelming. Quietly she said, unflinchingly "no – I don't want you to go…anyway, you've got nowhere else to go."

She shook uncontrollably, her final attempt at composure breaking against an angry sea of emotion. She began to sob openly, wailing until her voice broke. "Why does all of this always have to be so maddeningly confusing?" she cried, throwing her hands up to her eyes.

Acting purely on instinct, the human Doctor responded quickly by closing the space between them again and wrapping his long, strong arms around her. He knew there was a larger than average chance she'd reject him, but he had to try. Rose found herself even more deeply conflicted when she felt him embrace her for the second time that morning. She hated herself for finding his presence to be comforting, knowing that the fully Time Lord Doctor was out in another universe, without her. Somehow, though, she didn't blame the human Doctor who had his arms around her – he was simply doing what the Time Lord would have done…if he were here, she thought. Due to both her own emotional and physical exhaustion, Rose didn't struggle and move away from him like before, instead, she allowed herself to be held, momentarily loosing herself in thought as the Doctor continued to hold her tightly.

Several moments later, after Rose's sobbing had subsided again, Rose backed away slightly and looked up at him, studying him intensely, noting any differences she could possibly find in an attempt to reduce the amount of cognitive dissonance she was experiencing. She didn't recognize any true differences between the Time Lord and this new Doctor, besides the feel of his single heart when she was wrapped in his embrace. Still battling confusion, grief and guilt, she asked quietly in a raspy voice, "Will he be alright? What will happen to him now?" she asked, hoping for some solace in his answer. She was genuinely worried that her beloved Time Lord would be friendless, alone and in mortal danger either immediately or eventually.

The human Doctor paused for a moment and stared at the carpet, collecting his thoughts before speaking. He recalled meeting River Song on the Library and sighed slightly, hoping events would still unfold to make the memory true to future events. "Yeah," he said, a half smile creeping across his face. "Rose, he'll go on – he'll not be alone, he may even one day be happy" he said, squeezing her hand assuredly.

Rose realized that he knew something that she didn't, that he had knowledge of the future from the memories he shared with the Time Lord Doctor. "So…" she said weakly, collecting her breath, "you know something I don't, yeah?" Her question was astute and the Doctor smiled at the fact that yet again, Rose Tyler had figured out another mystery.

"Clever as always, Dame Rose," he said, amused at her perceptiveness.

"Yeah, well, I've had to be," she said somewhat sadly and yet resiliently.

The Doctor smiled and said, "Do you really want to know?"

Rose paused for a moment, considering his question. She quietly realized that she could take no more emotional upheaval or revelations for the immediate time being so she simply said, "no…not right now."

"You sure about that? I'll tell you whatever you want to know," he said devotedly, his feelings for her showing through the statement.

"That's just it…I want to know everything!" she said passionately with a high level of excitement in her voice as she whipped tears from her eyes. "I want to know absolutely everything. I want to know what has happened to you…well…you both… these years we were apart. But…" she paused, sniffing quietly, choosing her words carefully, "but with everything that's happened, I just …can't…not now."

"Can't blame you for that," he said, somewhat relieved that the conversation could wait for another day, adding, "When you feel ready, just ask."

Rose appreciated this promise and simply said, "thank you, I will." It's the strangest thing – he's not him…but he is all at the same time, she thought. Rose felt strangely comforted again in his presence. While lost in her thoughts, the Doctor stared at her, wondering what she could possibly be thinking. He looked at her curiously and simply asked, "what, what is it?"

Rose paused, wondering if she should say what she had just been thinking. "I was just thinking how …oi! This sounds daft…" she said, realizing how obvious the statement would be.

Realizing that Rose was still processing what he had just told her, he attempted to cheer her slightly. "How? Well… There are lots of questions or sentences that can start with the particular word 'how'. For instance, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Although why people are so concerned with woodchucks chucking wood when in reality, the animal is so small that chucking anything would be a true engineering marvel is truly baffling! Oh! I've got it! Perhaps that's why the phrase exists …interesting! So, Rose Tyler, perhaps you should ask how woodchucks manufacture ways of chucking wood, since it would be a more accurate example of how humans use the word how," he said, flashing a brilliant smile, the kind that appeared when he knew he was being witty. Rose also knew that he was attempting to make her smile. However, in spite of her knowledge of his strategy, he succeeded marvelously. Rose smiled and laughed – not expecting such an unexpected play on words and the familiar banter that she had yearned to hear for so long.

"Ah! See – there we are! A smile!" he said, a bright smile causing whole face to light up brightly. In truth, she couldn't help herself – it felt so good to laugh with him…any version of him... again and to listen to him think. "But really, Rose, what were you going to say?"

"You – you're just so…him. I know that sounds mental to say…I know what I saw – but here you are! If not for Torchwood and all of those times in the TARDIS, I wouldn't be able to even begin to understand it!" She ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

"But you did have those experiences – you have all of those wonderful memories! Isn't that brilliant! That said, I definitely get why you say it – all of this is wibbly wobbly, timey wimey craziness at it's finest." He grinned brightly when he thought of how brilliant their adventures had been.

"Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey?" she said, laughing in spite of her emotional pain, an eyebrow raised in surprise of such a phrase.

"Oi! Watch it! It's a great turn of phrase, miss Tyler!" he said with a fake sense of rejection, a smirk curling the edges of his mouth.

"Aye, yes it is – sorry…" she said, still quietly laughing to herself. A moment paused as both laughed quietly, actually enjoying each other's company. "Right…so…tell me, what are we going to call you?" she asked, now relying on Torchwood training to help her deal with the present for now, and the past later. "We can't very well call you the Doctor…you know, considering you're part human now." She looked at him, studying every inch of his face.

"Well, you know, I did some thinking about that last night," he said quietly. "I could go with John Smith, the name I always use, but I don't know…it seems like I need something unique, given the fact that I'm unique and this is an entirely unique situation."

"Right – I agree," she said simply. "Did you come up with anything?" she asked, curious what this new version of the Doctor was considering, thankful for a momentary respite from her complicated feelings.

"What do you think about Mark Alonso Noble?" he said, truly wondering what she would think.

"Alonso?" she questioned, finding the name to be one she wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

"I don't know – I like it! That way you could say 'Alons-y Alonso,' sometime! I'd love hearing that," he said cheekily.

"I see," she laughed quietly "I like it – it works. Mark is a nice name, and I take it that you're using Noble because.."

"Of Donna, yeah. Seemed right, since she helped create me."

"That's wonderful!" she said, smiling slightly. "Wait, though, will you still be…will you still be called well…the Doctor?" she asked, unsure how to really phrase the question.

"Always" he said, emotion making his voice quiet, "after all, I am a part of him, and he's a part of me…regardless of the one heart situation." He grimaced slightly at the thought of having such limited physiology.

"Good – I'll probably have a hard time calling you anything else…" she said.

"I'd have a hard time being called anything else." He said definitively. He also realized that Rose had just indicated that he would be a part of her life in some way, causing the Doctor to grin happily, "so I'm still the Doctor then?" he asked, the question echoing back in her mind to the Christmas Day when she had first seen the Time Lord in the version that sat before her on the bed.

She smiled slightly, tears in her eyes as she realized the truth – the truth that was evident with every action, word and breath the man before her took,

"You remember that?" she asked solemnly, as if remembering a memory that featured a long deceased loved one.

The Doctor nodded – "I remember it all" he said with a bright grin, adding "I remember how you stood up to the Sycorax, how you befriended a Dalek of all things! How you looked in the ash on Christmas Day, how that Fortuna statue of you was identical to my unrequited dreams of you and how wonderful it was to see you again, running towards me the night you finally found me again. Yes, Rose, I remember," he said taking her hand in his. "And I remember your words on the beach when I called to say goodbye, I remember being heart broken when I thought I'd never be with you again – when I couldn't tell you what everyone else seemed to know…that I love you," he said, a tear running down his cheek.

At this sudden outpouring of emotion, tears welled in Rose's eyes and she pulled him into a tight embrace. He remembers so much, looks so much like him…I don't know how any of it is possible. Regardless of how he got here…like mum and me in this universe…Dear God! He's him – he's the Doctor! My Doctor, she thought, love warming her whole being. As she realized it would be incredibly hypocritical and unusually cruel to reject him, she felt a deep connection with the words he had just spoken, almost inexplicably, as if there were more power in just three words than any words she had heard before. Somehow, every fiber of her being told her that she could trust the words that he had spoken - she knew one thing for certain at that moment, upon hearing those three precious words, along with his memories, that the man before her was very much the same being she loved so deeply, now part human or not. She parted from the hug momentarily, moving her hand to softly rub the back of his neck.

"Well, then," she said, moving her hand so that she touching his heart with her hand, she looked him in the eyes, adding, "no arguments from me. Who am I to argue with the Doctor?" she said sincerely, finally answering his question after she realized the truth. "I love you too…both of you…so very much. It's absolutely the strangest thing...very timey wimey indeed," she added before kissing him with the pent up passion of the past four lonely years. She could feel the Doctor smile and hear him laugh slightly and his single heart race as he heard her words, ecstatic that she had accepted him. They reveled in the moment as both finally felt a profound sense of belonging that had been so markedly absent from their lives for such a very long time, even if the future was unclear.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own, and have never claimed to own Doctor Who or anything indirectly or directly related to the world of Doctor Who. Also, any similarities to other fan fiction are completely unintentional. I have simply written the story below for my own enjoyment and entertainment.**

Also, thank you to those who added the story to their favorites and to those of you who chose to review! I really appreciate the support – it means a lot! Here is the next chapter…I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter 2**

Rose withdrew from the embrace with the human Doctor at the sound of knocking at her bedroom door. The Doctor smiled and said, "oh, that'll be breakfast," as he stood up to open the door for the Tyler's butler, Alistair, who was pushing a cart that seemed to hold one of the largest varieties of food Rose had ever seen.

Rose looked at the Doctor quizzically, a smile creeping across her face. "Breakfast?"

"Yep!" He said, emphasizing the P at the end of the word, "talked to Jackie this morning and convinced her to send breakfast up to you…when you woke up."

"Wait…How'd you manage that! How'd you know when I'd wake up? It's not like you could have…how…." Rose trailed off, attempting to put the pieces of the seemingly all-too-perfect coordination of breakfast together.

"Well, I…." The Doctor began to say as he stood by the door, but before he could continue, Jackie's voice cried throughout the room as she sped to be at her daughter's side. The Doctor closed his mouth and smiled knowingly. There was absolutely no point in trying to interrupt Jackie Tyler when Rose was involved. _Best to wait and let Jackie get this out of her system, _he thought, as he shot Rose a knowing grin.

Rose looked into the Doctor's eyes and realized he was conceding the floor for the moment to her mother. Rose smiled back at him and nodded slightly, appreciating his kindness.

"Oh! Rose! I was so worried about you! How are you, darling?" Jackie said, looking at Rose critically while pressing her hand on her daughter's forehead.

"I'm fine mum, just tired and sore," Rose said firmly, attempting to lessen Jackie's obvious anxiety.

"Are you sure? You're not just saying that to make me feel better? You gave me such a scare when you passed out on that bloody beach!" Jackie exclaimed.

"Mum, I'm really ok…" Rose said, looking at the Doctor over Jackie's shoulder. Jackie turned over her shoulder to look at the Doctor, who was now quietly standing in the middle of the room. The Doctor simply nodded quietly at Jackie and she turned to once again look at her daughter.

"Yesterday Doctor Thomson said you'd pull through and that we were to make sure you were comfortable, but you need to tell me if you're not feeling well, no more hiding when you're hurt that you've been so good at these past years!" Jackie lectured.

"You called Doctor Thomson in? Wait…how long was I…" Rose tried to ask as she attempted to make sense of the time that had passed between her memories.

"You've been unconscious for about eighteen hours," the Doctor said, looking at her seriously. Rose could tell by the sound of his voice that he'd been counting each hour that passed.

"We've all been waiting for you to wake up. Doc Thompson said that if you weren't awake by this morning that you needed to be taken to the hospital." Jackie said, fear still evident in her eyes.

"eighteen hours?" Rose questioned, not able to remember anything that had happened during those lost hours. She could remember nothing.

The Doctor nodded in answer to Rose's question as Jackie continued to speak, "over a day! Even with everything you went though at Torchwood, you've never…" Jackie said before being interrupted by Rose, who knew that Jackie would inevitably mention all of the dangerous missions that had injured Rose in varying ways over the last four years. Rose gently held up her hand to still her mother's talking about all of her scrapes and broken bones caused by her work with the Dimension cannon and various Torchwood missions. "I told you, mum, I'm fine – I just feel a little weak," Rose said as her hands shook slightly.

"You're not fine! Look at you! You're shaking like a leaf – you need food right now! That's why I had Alistair bring up breakfast," Jackie said, standing up and moving the pillows behind Rose so that Rose could sit up. Jackie placed a tray over Rose's lap, saying, "come on now, sit back." Rose looked at Jackie and said, "I'm fine, really!"

"You may be – but you're taking it easy for now," Jackie said, "and that goes for you too," she said, looking at the Doctor, "have a seat and eat something, you've got to keep your strength up too, you know. Come on, sit down," Jackie said to the Doctor as she helped Alistair push a table and chair found on the opposite end of the room to Rose's bedside so that the Doctor could sit and eat. The Doctor couldn't bring himself to challenge Jackie's authority on this point because in truth he was quite hungry. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he had smelled the fresh fruit and pastries that had been brought in.

"Well…I wouldn't want to argue with the lady of the house," the Doctor said as he sat down in the chair next to Rose's bed. Alistair quietly pulled the wheeled table up to the Doctor and asked, "Is there anything else you both would like?"

"No, Alistair, you've done an excellent job as always," Rose said, giving in to her mother's command to sit back in bed and eat breakfast. "Unless you need anything, Doctor?" Rose asked, turning to look at the Doctor.

"My pleasure, Miss Tyler," Alistair said, bowing his head slightly as he turned to look at the Doctor. "Anything additionally for you, sir?"

"Yes, Alistair, was it? Well, Alistair! Everything looks wonderful…only, could you possibly bring me a banana?" The Doctor asked.

"A banana, sir? Would you like any other fruit too?" Alistair questioned

"No, just a banana, thanks," the Doctor said as he began to stir the tea that was on the tray before him. Alistair nodded to them both, turned and walked out of the room. Rose laughed as she remembered that the Doctor liked bananas. The Doctor raised an eyebrow to question her laughter but soon realized that she was amused by the fact that he still liked bananas. To her giggles he simply said "what! Bananas are good!" and winked at her over his teacup.

Rose, still eating a piece of toast said, "So I've been told," and smiled. The Doctor audibly chuckled but yet said nothing, eating momentarily taking precedence over conversation. Rose had the exact same idea as she greedily consumed all of the food that was on the tray in front of her.

Feeling that both the Doctor and Rose were momentarily cared for, Jackie smiled and said, "right, now that you two are eating and resting, I need to pop back downstairs to check on Tony. I'll be back up to check on you in a bit!" Jackie said as she walked out of the room, "but mind you, you'd both better be here when I get back," she said, looking at both the Doctor and Rose to drive her point home.

Rose sighed slightly but agreed, "Alright, mum, we will. Thanks!" Rose said as she sipped on her tea. Jackie smiled and walked out of the room, leaving the human Doctor and Rose in temporary silence as they finished eating. The momentary stillness was interrupted when Alistair arrived in the room, carrying not one, but three bananas. "As you requested," Alistair said, placing the fruit on the Doctor's tray. The Doctor's eyes lit up as he smiled. "Fantastic, thank you Alistair!" the Doctor exclaimed, delighted.

"You're welcome, sir." Alistair said, turning to bow slightly before he turned to walk out of the room.

Rose giggled slightly, her mouth forming a contented smile on her face. Her smile, however, was interrupted by a large yawn, making Rose's eyes close.

"Maybe Jackie was right – you could use some rest," the Doctor said, evaluating her seriously.

Rose sighed, hoping she could convince the Doctor that she wasn't as exhausted as she felt. "Oh, I'm alright," she said before she yawned again, this time even more dramatically.

"You can't fool me – you're exhausted," the Doctor said, getting out of his chair to sit on Rose's bedside. "Jackie's right – you need to rest," he said with all the authority of a full-blooded Time Lord.

"You, agreeing with mum…well, now I have seen everything!" Rose said, hoping to lighten the situation and distract the Doctor from his concern.

The Doctor smiled, replying, "what is this universe coming to?" he said, his dark eyes shooting her a caring look that made Rose's heart skip. She also smiled because she believed she had managed to distract the Doctor from his original opinion. She moved to get out of bed but was prevented by the Doctor placing his hands on hers. "Nice try, Miss Tyler, but you really do need.." he said before a yawn made him pause mid sentence.

"Oh, what was that?" Rose asked cheekily, "Sounds as if I'm not the only one that could use a couple of hours," raising an eyebrow as she smiled.

"Nonsense – I feel fantastic! Never better…well…I say never better…" The Doctor said but Rose cut him off mid thought.

"Nope- you can't try that talk-your-way-out-of-anything on me, I know that trick. You need to rest – you look exhausted too! Did you even sleep last night?" Rose questioned, realizing how pronounced the bags under his eyes were. Upon hearing the question, the Doctor looked sheepishly at the floor, saying nothing at first but responded, "I wasn't tired." Rose was struck by the solemn tone that was evident in his voice. The Doctor was still looking at the floor and appeared to be carefully thinking about something.

"Doctor, what is it?" Rose asked.

"Nothing - anyway…" The Doctor attempted to say, looking up and smiling at her. Only this time, Rose realized that the smile on his face was forced – something was bothering him.

"No, tell me – what is it?" Rose said, a force of authority driving her voice.

"Really, Rose, it's nothing..." he said, standing up and walking over to the window. Rose watched him stare out the window for a long moment before. Rose knew that he was attempting to not think about something that was obviously bothering him immensely.

Rose got out of bed and walked over to where he stood, placing a hand on his arm. Quietly she asked, "Really, though, what's troubling you. Please, tell me," she said as she maneuvered to stand in front of the window so that she could look up at him.

"Oh, Rose…" he said, tears now welling up in his eyes. "Rose, I…" he said, his voice cracking as he attempted to speak. Moved by his sudden display of emotion, Rose placed a hand on the side of his cheek and stared into his eyes. She waited for him to regain his composure. He spoke again, "confounded human emotions! I never realized how difficult they were to control!" Tears continued to slowly move down his cheeks.

Rose realized he was attempting to make sense of what he was feeling, "yeah, they're tricky sometimes," she said with a slight smile.

"But this isn't about emotions, is it, Doctor?" Rose asked quietly, taking the Doctor's hands in hers.

"No," he said, a weak smile making the tears on his cheeks seem emphasized. A moment passed as he swallowed before speaking, "I …couldn't, couldn't sleep last night," he finished lamely, looking at the floor.

"Why not?" Rose asked quietly, hoping he would continue to talk to her.

"I was…too worried about you, and if you'd…" he paused, feeling embarrassed.

"If I'd?" Rose questioned, leaning to catch the Doctor's gaze.

"If you'd be alright…" he said, hoarsely, finally looking into her eyes. Rose was moved by a look of sincere despair and fear that was evident in his eyes.

"Oh, Doctor," Rose said, embracing him tightly, pausing to listen to his single heart before continuing, she realized then that she wasn't the only one that was confused by their new circumstances and was dealing with a new range of uncharted emotions that had to be controlled. She turned to look at him, "I know I must have scared you, but really, I'm alright."

"I just didn't know what to do – you were unconscious and I didn't have any idea what to do for you – if you'd be alright, if you'd…hate me when you woke up," he said, looking at her, the truth of the statement weighing in his eyes.

"Doctor," she said with all the seriousness she could muster, "I could never hate you – any version of you." The Doctor looked into her eyes and realized that Rose couldn't be any more sincere.

Pausing to collect his thoughts, he looked into her eyes and quietly said, "I meant because…I'm the reason you're back here…and stuck."

Rose swallowed before continuing, realizing that she had been pushing away similar thoughts to the one he had just spoken, "no, Doctor," she said, taking his hand in hers, "you know as well as I do that he made that choice for us..." She said, tears welling in her eyes, "I don't blame you – or him…I know that he did what he thought was best…like always."

"Rose, are you sure?" he questioned, hoping to make sure that she wasn't just making him feeling better.

"I'm sure…and even though I can tell you that I'm going to need time to get used to all of this– you didn't cause any of this. Anyway, you're the one who should hate me…you're the one who's trapped here…without a TARDIS, without your old life…because of me," she said lamely, sadness evident in her voice.

The Doctor was simultaneously shocked and comforted by Rose's statement. She would always amaze him, that much was absolutely certain. How could he have been so blind? _Oi! I'm so thick sometimes_, he thought. He was so worried that she was going to hate him, that she would resent him - that he failed to realize that she would be worried that she thought she was keeping him from the universe, from the fantastic life that she thought he deserved. Upon hearing her words, the Doctor knew he had to stop her from worrying.

"Oh Rose!" he said pulling her into a hug, "I didn't realize that you'd blame yourself! I could never hate you – ever…you, you fantastic woman! Don't you see?" he said pushing her away by her shoulders so he could look into her eyes, "This is the one adventure I could never have before! You know what? I'm actually excited about it! I can't wait to see what a life on this earth will be like – to see you every day, to be able to eat chips and talk to you about your day – to be there for you in all the ways I couldn't before! And…for the first time in …such a long time…I finally have a home." Tears flowed from his eyes at his final words of the statement. Rose knew that the loss of Galifrey had always weighed heavily on the Doctor. All Rose could do was draw the Doctor into a hug and say, "yes, Doctor, you have a home now.." Rose quietly hoped that someday he'd be able to tell her about Gallifrey and his past.

"Promise me, something, Doctor?" Rose asked quietly as she continued to hug him tightly.

"Anything, Rose."

"Promise me you'll tell me about your home someday – that you'll tell me about your past. There's so much I still don't know about you."

The Doctor suddenly felt his blood run cold – the idea of telling Rose about his past – about the time war, about all of the things he had done struck fear into his heart the way no fleet of a billion Daleks could have. Rose pulled out of his arms slightly to look at him as she wondered what had caused him to not respond in a normal manner.

The Doctor looked into her eyes for a long moment but realized that he could deny her nothing. Somehow, he'd have to find a way to talk about everything that had happened during that terrible time in his life. Finally, the Doctor nodded slightly, a darkness spreading over his entire being – a seriousness that was much like the demeanor that the leather-jacketed Doctor had had when they first met. "I'll try to…but Rose, you may not like it. Are you sure you want to know?"

"I'm sure," she said, resting one of her hands on his shoulders.

"Then I'll tell you …but first, we need to get you back to bed…you look tired!" he said sympathetically.

Rose yawned suddenly, causing the Doctor to yawn too. "Right…" he said, leading her by the hand to her bed, pulling up the covers for her. He tucked her in and proceeded to turn and walk away when Rose's caught his hand.

"Wait" she said.

The Doctor looked back at her quizzically, "what is it?" he asked.

"Well…could…do you think…would it be…" she faltered, feeling awkward as she attempted to pose a question that could be an opening to rejection. "Would you mind staying here with me? I think I'd sleep better…if you stayed," she said, her eyes darting back and forth between the floor and his face in an attempt to settle a sudden wave of anxiety that had overtaken her.

The Doctor processed the words and thought about them carefully, "stay here?" he asked.

Rose nodded, adding, "just to sleep – you know…um…wha cha think?"

The Doctor smiled and nodded, "love to," while squeezing her hand before letting go and moving to the other side of the bed. "Just hope Jackie doesn't come in and have a heart attack!" he said cheekily.

"pftt" Rose said waving her arm as if to dismiss the statement, "I'll deal with mum…" before a yawn caused her to stop speaking.

The Doctor crawled into bed and lay next to Rose at a respectable distance until Rose closed the distance between them and laid her head on his chest. "And, I think saving the universe exempts us from typical rules of etiquette, don't you?"

The Doctor laughed and his ribcage shook. He moved a hand onto Rose's back and stroked her hair, "such a rebel you are, Rose Marion Tyler."

"Learned…from the best…" she said, laughing sleepily.

"That you did…" he said cheekily, his eyes closing as he gave into drowsiness.

"I never said it was you!" she said teasingly.

"Well…I just assumed…" he replied, a cheeky sound in his voice, but she didn't hear him – she was already asleep and the Doctor fell asleep moments later

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The pair slept soundly for the next several hours until the mid afternoon sun beamed through the windows and the sound of knocking, accompanied by Jackie's voice forced both the Doctor and Rose to wake up.

"Here we go again," the Doctor said quietly into Rose's head, that was just under his chin.

Rose nodded, sat up yawned. "Mum, I'll be down in a few minutes, ok?"

"Are you alright?" Jackie asked, concerned.

"I'm fine mum, I'm really alright, and I'll be downstairs in a bit, alright?"

"Ok – well, you two come down when you can…" Jackie said cheekily, realizing that Rose was thinking she didn't know that the Doctor and Rose were napping together.

Rose rolled her eyes and smiled as she looked at the Doctor who simply laughed.

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Twenty minutes later, Rose and the Doctor parted in order to dress and get ready to go downstairs. Rose came down first, dressed in a bright red sweater, dark blue jeans, and boots, had come downstairs to the main floor of the Tyler Mansion to find Jackie sitting in the kitchen, sipping tea and reading the newspaper. The Doctor was still upstairs, presumably taking a shower and attempting to freshen up, in spite of the fact that he only had one blue suit to wear.

"Are you sure he's really the Doctor? I mean, he sounds and looks and acts like him, but is he? How do we know that he's who he says he is?" Jackie Tyler asked Rose as Rose came to sit at the small breakfast table. Rose took the tea that Jackie slid across the table to her and realized that her mother had just been asking the question that Rose had just been struggling with that morning.

"Mum, I know it may not make sense, but he is, he really is." Rose said as she brushed hair behind her ears. She looked her mother in the eyes, making sure to convey the truth that she knew was difficult to truly comprehend.

"I know that is what he claims, Rose, but I know what I saw…" Jackie said before Rose interrupted her. "I know, mum, and I saw it too – but this Doctor, the one in the suite upstairs is the Doctor too - even though he only has one heart and is part human."

"And what makes you believe that? How do I know he's not part of a plan by some insane alien that's come and kill us all? Did you ever think of that? What about all of your Torchwood training?" Jackie questioned intensely.

Rose understood well why her mum was asking such questions: the last four years had continually proven that Rose had become a regular target of human and alien villains, regardless of what universe she was in. Rose peered into her eyes, "Mum, I can understand why you're paranoid – I was too at first, but I trust him. I can't treat him like some imposter – because he's not. Look, I don't know how else to explain it. I know he may not have a TARDIS and only have one heart, but when I talk to him, listen to his voice, look at his face, watch his actions – it's like the Doctor is in two places at once. It's so weird, I know, because I saw …well, the Time Lord Doctor vanish, but mum, somehow I just know he's …really him." Rose's eyes were tearing up slightly as she remembered her feelings about being parted from the Time Lord Doctor.

Jackie realized that her daughter was being as sincere as she could be. However, in spite of Jackie's belief in Rose's sincerity, Jackie couldn't help but feel immensely protective of her daughter. Jackie sighed heavily, staring into Rose's eyes, "Well, he'd better be telling you the truth, Rose, because if he's not the Doctor and he hurts you all over again, he won't have to worry about Daleks, Cybermen or other aliens, regardless of whether or not he's part human now," Jackie said fiercely, making Rose realize that she was quite serious. Even with all of her Torchwood training, Rose still became more wary upon hearing her mum make such declarations than when battling weevils, shape-shifters, the Sycorax or remnants of the Cyberman invasion.

"I know, mum, it's all going to take some getting used to. But you'll see. It's just like you and Pe…er, um, Dad in this universe…just give him a chance. Besides," Rose smiled as she paused, "if I can give him a chance, you can, right?"  
>Jackie sighed heavily for a moment and nodded, "I suppose. But he better not go leaving you again, that's all I'm saying," Jackie said seriously, causing Rose to flinch at the thought that this new Doctor may become bored with life on this earth and even worse: become bored with her. Would he leave her someday, the way that the Time Lord Doctor had left Sarah Jane who knows how many other companions behind? Rose blinked slowly and attempted to smile as she tried shake off the fear that suddenly bolted through her as she considered these dark possibilities.<p>

"He can't go anywhere this time – like I said, no TARDIS." Rose said shortly, before moving on to another topic of conversation. "Right, well, the Doctor and I have a ton of shopping and other things to do today, I'd better go check on him," Rose said as she tried not to notice Jackie's sigh and pertinent stare as Rose abandoned the subject quickly.

Jackie rolled her eyes and decided that for the moment, it was best to leave the subject alone, believing that time would reveal if her paranoia was well founded. Regardless of her reservations, Jackie let the matter drop as she asked, "Right, then, why don't we all have dinner tonight when you get back?"

Rose simply nodded before she walked to the doorway of the kitchen and said "That would be nice, we'll see you tonight," before she walked back into the grand foyer and ascended the stairs in order to check on the Doctor.

As Rose moved up the steps she closed her eyes and sighed. Would he be bored with her? Would she be able to handle him leaving her for a third time? Could she really trust what she was seeing? Rose quickly realized that she would need to handle these questions carefully, "But not right now," she muttered in a whisper as she reached the top of the stairs.

_This will certainly be an interesting day, shopping with the Doctor…or, the new new new Doctor_, she thought with a strange mixture of sadness and hope. _It's not time to get emotional – he needs your help_, she thought, as she momentarily stood in front of the Doctor's room, the Tyler's guest suite, gathering her strength. Rose took a deep breath as she pushed her fearful thoughts aside fiercely before knocking on the Doctor's door.

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"So, just how concerned should I be that Jackie keeps looking at me like I'm some sort of lab specimen?" the Doctor asked quietly as they got into the car that was waiting outside the Tyler Estate to take them to London.

"Ah, you noticed that, did you?" Rose asked as she shifted into her seat across from him in the Tyler's limousine, unsure of what to say to ease his tension.

"Yeah, just a bit," he said seriously, looking at her intensely, "Though, I must say, it's a bit like it used to be," he said wryly, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Rose.

"She means well, she's just…" Rose paused, unsure of what would be best to say. Would right now really be the best time to say "she's suspicious of you because you look like the Time Lord that broke my heart into a million pieces?" Instead, Rose turned to him calmly and said, "She's just having a difficult time understanding all of this."

Upon hearing this statement, the Doctor nodded, "Well, then, she's in good company," adding "Anyway, it'd be strange if she trusted me, it is Jackie we're talking about after all," he said with a slight smile.

"Well, she…well…we all have been through quite a lot…" she said, hoping to defend her mother but give the Doctor a reasonable answer for her mother's behavior.

Suddenly the Doctor took hold of Rose's hand and said, "Rose, will you tell me about it sometime?" he wanted nothing more than to find out how Rose's life had been while she was in this universe. He could only imagine what she would tell him. Would she tell him about all of the dangerous missions or …more difficult to deal with, would she tell him about the other men that had undoubtedly been in her life? His blood ran cold for a moment at the thought that Rose had been involved with other men, but he ignored the feeling, focusing instead on Rose's answer.

"Of course – but only if you tell me what you've been up to," Rose said, deeply touched by the fact that he actually wanted to know about her life. In fact, Rose was so moved at that moment that a single tear rolled down her cheek. Slightly embarrassed by her emotional display, Rose looked down and laughed slightly, "You'd think I would have gotten all of this out of my system this morning," she said shaking her head to look out the window, away from the Doctor's gaze.

However, her attempt to deflect her feelings was short lived as the Doctor leaned forward in his seat and gently moved her chin back to look at him. "Now, then, what's all this for?" he said, tears in his own eyes beginning to make his eyes shimmer too.

"Nothing –," Rose said swallowing hard and whipping new tears from her eyes.

"Doesn't look like nothing," he said quietly. "What is it?"

"I…well, I guess I was just…" she paused.

"Just…?"

"Surprised that you'd want to know about my life," Rose said, hoping her statement would make some sense.

The Doctor nodded, a sad look of pain flashing in his eyes. Did she really think that he – both he and the fully Time Lord – didn't care about her life? Did she really think that he'd not thought about her, wondered if she were safe and what her life was like in this universe? Without pause, the Doctor looked at her, took her hands in his and said, "I wondered about you every day – I wanted to know that you were safe, happy, I would have given anything to know if I could have, Rose. You have no idea how much I cared about what had happened to you."

Rose couldn't help but smile and start to cry all at the same time, "Really?" she asked, in a quiet but high pitched voice that was a direct result of her crying.

"Really – every single day, I wondered if I'd ever get to hear your voice again, see your smile, if you'd ever get the chance to tell me about your life here, if I'd ever get to hold your hand again," he paused, taking a deep breath to steady his own emotions, "And do you know who kept me fighting, Rose?" he asked her, an urgency unmistakably evident in his voice.

Rose shook her head, looking at him in front of her, unable to speak as she whipped her tears away. The Doctor moved to sit next to her in the limousine, and wrapped his arms around her as if to emphasize his point, he finally whispered the answer in her ear, his eyes shut as he said the words that his heart was shouting, "It was you, Rose, it was you."

Rose's eyes opened widely and tears continued to flow but she turned to look into his eyes, their foreheads nearly touching now. She looked deeply into his dark brown eyes and felt swept away by her love for the Doctor. How long had she always wanted to hear the Doctor say words like those? She had always wanted to hear him speak to her the way he just had. Rose was so moved by what she had just heard that she hugged him tightly and kissed him, hoping she could convey her feelings in a way that words could not. The Doctor could barely believe the situation himself – he had never allowed himself to hope that more time with Rose would ever be possible. _Now this is really going to be an adventure, _he thought as he relished their embrace, a deep sense of happiness overcoming him.

When they both separated, Rose was amazed to find that the Doctor was smiling at her – a wide grin lighting his whole face. Rose smiled back at the Doctor, then looked down, a deep blush rushing to her face.

"Sorry…don't know what came over me just now…didn't mean to…" she said before clearing her throat quietly. As Rose stared at the floor, wondering what reaction the Doctor would have to her impulsive action, Rose felt a hand entwine its fingers in hers.

"Don't ever be sorry for …well…" he said, a slight blush moving across his face too. Rose could hardly believe her eyes. Was the Doctor, the saver of all humanity, part human or not, blushing too? Rose laughed quietly, a smile coming to her face; she couldn't help but feel comforted by the thought.

Upon seeing Rose laugh, the Doctor couldn't help but squirm nervously. Was she laughing at him? What was so funny? He thought, "What could possibly be so funny?" he finally asked, insecurity lacing the question.

Rose shook her head and looked at him, realizing that she needed to explain. "It's…well…I've never seen you blush..." hoping he'd understand, adding, "It's…very sweet of you, that's all." She closed her hands around his and squeezed, hoping to help him understand that she wasn't laughing at him.

"Sweet, eh? Well! That's a new one! I've been called oh-so-many things in my incredibly long life, but sweet? Rose Tyler, leave it to you to be the first to call me that!" He said with a chuckle before continuing, "it's a very odd reaction, blushing, I've never experienced it before – very human! I suppose I'm going to have to get used to it," he said winking at her, which caused Rose to smile. The Doctor loved seeing her smile at his words, so he continued to speak. "You know, there are only a handful of species out there that even have a word for sweet? Well, sweet in the endearing sense, that is. None of the dominant, war making species are very keen on using that phrase – it could definitely change the face of the politics in the universe if more would value being endearing. You would think that more of them would want to because war is so expensive, but there we are…"

Rose just stared at him while he was talking – listening to every tone of his voice as he spoke. In spite of the fact that part of her felt profoundly saddened that she would never again be able to be with the fully Time Lord Doctor, Rose also felt a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for the fact that she could have a chance to spend time with this man who sat before her.

Moments passed as the pair sat together quietly, watching the world pass by the limo's windows. It was finally Rose who said something. "Looks like we're just about there," she said as she attempted to straighten her hair and wiped the remaining tears off of her cheeks.

The Doctor kissed her cheek again and smiled, "well, then, what's first, commander Tyler?" he asked, sincerely curious what Rose had planned as a part of the day's venture while also making a play on her Torchwood title. Rose hadn't realized he knew about her level of authority at Torchwood and looked at him curiously, a smile of disbelief crossing her face.

"How'd…how'd you…?" she began to ask but realized she was dealing with a very clever part human who would always surprise her.

He smiled cheekily and said, "I may have heard Pete and your mum talking about it this morning before you woke up."

"But they were in their master suite on the other side of the mansion! How is that…" she began to question but realized she should have already known the answer to that question.

"Time Lord hearing, still got it," he said, with a wink and an oddly endearing air of superiority evident in his tone. Rose couldn't help herself but laugh and smile at the way he had answered her.

"Right, forgot about that – going to have to keep that in mind," she said with a fake air of suspicion.

"I don't know, it helped me know when you were awake this morning," he said.

Rose paused, remembering how she felt when she had woken up that morning and nodded before adding, "yeah, I suppose it did."

The city buildings loomed large in the windows now and a moment later the car came to a stop outside of a very posh looking tailor's shop. Rose smiled at the Doctor and said, "How do you feel about getting a couple of new suits?"

The Doctor smiled wildly and his eyes shined at the idea that he would still be able to wear the suits he loved so much. "Molto Bene! Great thinking, Rose!" he said, opening the door before the driver could get around the car, adding, "you are brilliant," as he helped Rose out of the car. Then, in an instant he smiled happily as he turned in a circle to inspect the surrounding area's buildings and people. "Fascinating! There are so many similarities here! And yet – the skyline isn't entirely a copy of the other…" he mused to himself, making a mental note to investigate the history of London when he returned to the Tyler Estate.

"Just thought it would do you good to get something familiar," Rose said as she took his hand and led him over to the front door of the tailor's shop that loomed large in front of them.

The storefront looked incredibly posh and the Doctor peered up at the sign and read it to himself, "Hamilton's Clothiers," and then looked back at Rose, "wait a second…who's paying for all of this?"

"Doctor," she said gently, "you've done so much for me…for my whole family…for he multi-verse, I think we can get you what you need so you can be comfortable here. Now come on, we've got suits to fit you for," she said pulling him over to the door.

He opened it for Rose and she said, "thank you, sir," as she passed through with a smile.

"My pleasure miss Tyler, lead the way to the suits!" he said with a laugh that made Rose feel absolutely giddy, the way his wit always had.

Several hours later, after the Doctor had been fitted and Rose helped him pick out a dozen suits, shirts, pants, shoes, ties and a host of other items, Rose decided that she had no choice but to finally broach the subject that she had been avoiding all morning: convincing the Doctor to visit Torchwood with her so that he could get all the necessary identification he would need.

"All right then, but I'm not doing this because I like Torchwood," he said as he listened to her carefully choose her words to convince him to go with her to Torchwood.

"Thank you," she said, gratefully.

"Besides, Pete and Jackie thought it'd be a good idea to have your input about my documentation." The Doctor said simply.

"Wait…what?" she questioned.

"Talked to them about it yesterday when you were asleep – told them that I needed your input and that I'd like to wait until you woke up," he said as if revealing a very important secret.

"Alright, then, that was easier than I thought it was going to be," she said, taking his hand and getting into the limo, giving the driver instructions. As the car started and moved down the street, the Doctor and Rose sat quietly. The Doctor said nothing but hoped that this meeting at Torchwood would be less eventful than the last time he and Rose had been in a Torchwood office.

Realizing he was most likely remembering the horrible events that had taken place at Torchwood, Rose took his hand in hers and squeezed, "I promise, Doctor, this Torchwood, it's different. You'll see."

"I hope so, Rose," he said somewhat warily while squeezing her hand in response. Although the Doctor genuinely hoped that Rose was right about this Torchwood, he couldn't help feeling a deep sense of mistrust for the whole organization. _Only time will tell what this visit to Torchwood will be like_, he thought.


End file.
